Jennifer
I was diagnosed with PMR 18months ago and was informed that I have a very aggressive form of the disease. The pain can be excruciating as if my shoulders, neck and pelvic area are being torn apart,and I become completely "frozen" for several hours that is the worst scenario that I experience. On my "good" days I experience a burning, mild aching pain and stiffness across shoulders, with a sensation of something heavy has been placed there and I want to peel off. Prednisone relieves all of the above, however I have experienced serious side-effects as a result of long-term usage and have "taken" myself of steroids and try to tolerate the discomfit. On a "bad" day I do have to resort to medicating with prednisone which does give me temporary relief for a few hours, this enables me to have a normal life but I prefer not to continue dosage if the symptoms have been successfully reduced. Do hope that you will not be diagnosed with this disease. Best Wishes. P.S Would like to know if you have ever had hypothyroidism in particular Hashimoto's Disease.